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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl: A Noted 
Scout of the Department of the Gulf 



By Newton H. Culver 




The State Historical Society of S% i m. )"^in 

Separate No. 178 

From the Proceedings of the Society for 1916 



Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl: A Noted 
Scout of the Department of the Gulf 

By Newton H. Culver 




The State Historical Society of Wisconsin 

Separate No. 178 

From the Proceedings of the Society for 1916 



.Bit 



Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl: A Noted Scout of the 
Department of the Gulf' 



By Newton H. Culver 

The summer of 1861 we guarded the railroad from the 
Relay House nine miles out from Baltimore to Annapolis 
Junction. On November 4 we were taken to Baltimore 
and shipped on board the steamer Adelaide and were off 
for the east shore. Then we were taken up the Wicomico 
River to Whitehaven where we landed and began our 
first march. The first night we camped at Princess Anne 
and the second at Snowhill. Here we remained several 
days, and then proceeded on down the east shore. . On 
one of our marches we met an old gentleman in a dilapi- 

1 Isaac Newton Earl was one of three orphan brothers who were reared by 
their uncles, Nathaniel, Edwin, Elisha, and William Crosby. William J. 
Earl and Isaac N. Earl lived with Elisha Crosby at Plainville, and Joseph W. 
Earl with Edwin Crosby near Pine BlulT, Adams County, Wis. William Crosby 
was at one time sheriff of Adams County. Living in the backwoods of a new 
country the boys had but meager school advantages. Their winters were spent 
in the lumber camps and their summers were passed driving and rafting logs 
on the Wisconsin River. Thus they grew up unendowed with the knowledge 
derived from books but were grounded in that of woodcraft. This knowledge 
later stood Isaac Earl in good stead as a scout. 

All three of the brothers enlisted in the Federal army, and none survived the 
service. Joseph enlisted at Springville in Company D, Fourth Wisconsin Caval- 
ry, June 2, 1861, and died of disease at Ship Island, Miss., June 21, 1862. Isaac 
also enlisted in Company D, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry, on June 24, 1861, 
when about twenty years of age. The story of his military career and death 
will be told in the following pages. Most unfortunate of all the brothers was 
William. He enlisted at Belmont, Wis., in Company C, Seventh Wisconsin 
Infantr>', Aug. 10, 1861, and on Nov. 28, following, was transferred to Battery 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

dated vehicle. I saw one of the members of Company D 
take hold of one of the wheels and demand of the man 
that he "hurrah for Lincoln." After having been shaken 
several times he feebly responded. I afterward learned 
that the soldier who did the shaking was I. N. Earl. 

During the ensuing eighteen months we returned to 
Baltimore, built the Wisconsin Barracks in Patterson's 
Park at the east end of East Baltimore Street, and went 
to Fortress Monroe, Newport News, and to Ship Island 
in the Gulf of Mexico. From the latter place we went to 
the Southwest Pass and then up the Mississippi to New 
Orleans, where with the Thirty-first Massachusetts Regi- 
ment, we were the first troops to enter after the city had 
surrendered to Commodore Farragut. Then followed the 
two expeditions to Vicksburg, the attempt to change 
the channel of the river by cutting a ditch across the bend 
opposite the city, and the return to Baton Rouge w^here a 
battle occurred August 5, 1862. We spent the ensuing 
winter at New Orleans and Baton Rouge. In the mean- 
time the enemy fortified Port Hudson and General Banks 
began his series of operations against that place. 

During these months Earl was promoted to the rank of 
corporal. He had become possessed of a breech-loading 
rifle and, gaining a place in advance of the line in the 



B, Fourth United States Artillery. On July 7, 1863 he deserted at Gettysburg; 
he was captured, taken to Camp Randall, and there shot while attempting to 
escape. He had always been a good soldier and fought bravely at Gettysburg. 
In view of his record and the absence of any known reason for his desertion it 
may be supposed that he was suffering at the time from some temporary lapse 
of reason. 

In the narrative that follows I have depended upon my memoranda made day 
by day for the three years I served in Company C, Fourth ^^"isconsin Infantry 
(later Cavalry) and for the five months I was a member of Major Earl's corps 
of scouts. I left the scouts Oct. 27, 1864, just a month before Earl received his 
mortal wound. Information concerning this later period of his career may be 
obtained, by those who are interested, from the Official Records of the Union 
and Confederate Armies. 



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charge of May 27, 1863, he dug a rifle pit in which he 
remained and made good use of his weapon. Col. Sidney 
A. Bean, our commander, observing this, made his way 
out to Earl two days later, got into the pit with Earl, and 
wanted to try the rifle. Becoming impatient for a Con- 
federate to show his head above the breastworks, he 
raised his body above the pit when Earl pulled him down. 
He waited a little longer, then rose again, when Earl 
pulled him down a second time saying, "Colonel they will 
shoot you." A little later he rose quickly and was im- 
mediately shot, falling back dead into Earl's arms. Thus 
we lost a brave and true ofTicer beloved by all his men and 
one whose prospects for the future were of the brightest. 

While going over the enemy's works in the charge of 
June 14 Earl was slightly wounded and taken prisoner. 
He made good use of his faculties while inside the hostile 
lines. With other prisoners he was taken to the river 
bank to pick up driftwood for fuel. He picked up bit 
after bit of wood until he was some distance from his 
guard when he dropped his load and plunged into a bayou 
which separated him from some willows. Although fired 
at several times he gained their shelter and made his es- 
cape. Upon his return Earl was called before General 
Banks. He told the General the numbers of Confederate 
troops, the number and location of cannon mounted, the 
location of the magazines and quartermaster's stores, 
and the general situation inside the fortifications. In 
recognition of this service General Banks made him a 
lieutenant. 

While on the march up Bayou Teche and down Red 
River the regiment mounted itself in three days' time by 
appropriating horses of various sizes and colors, and with 
all kinds of saddles and bridles. In this way the regiment 
became one of mounted infantry, and soon after by order 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

of the War Department it was made a cavalry regiment. 
Since Wisconsin had raised but three regiments of cavalry 
up to that time our regiment did not change its number. 

After the surrender of Port Hudson on July 8 the regi- 
ment returned to Baton Rouge and encamped on the 
State House grounds. Frequently all alone Lieutenant 
Earl busied himself scouring the surrounding country, 
familiarizing himself with the roads and streams, fords, 
bridges, and ferries. On September 29 he brought in as 
prisoners Captain Pinney and thirteen of his men from the 
east side of the Amite River. The night before he had 
passed over the stream, taking with him two negro boys 
who knew every person and all the roads for miles up and 
down that side of the river. They quietly surrounded 
house after house where they picked up one, two, or more 
men who, thinking they were safe, had come home to 
sleep. 

Having seen Earl's captures and heard so much of his 
work as a scout, I had become desirous of going with him 
so as to judge of it for myself. I had thought it possible 
that his success was due more to luck than to fitness. On 
October 28, 1863 I joined him on a scouting expedition. 
We went out on the Benton Ferry road. There we saw 
five men quietly sitting on their horses on the opposite 
side of the river. Earl demanded their surrender; where- 
upon they rode away with us firing at them. There being 
no ferryboat on our side of the river Earl commanded 
"Right about, gallop, march," and we hastened up the 
river to where there w^as a ferryboat on our side. We 
crossed over in it but failed to intercept our men; we did, 
however, capture the son of Colonel Hunter, C. S. A. 
The quickness with which Earl decided what to do on 
several occasions while we were out convinced me that he 
had that qualification at least for a scout. That he knew 

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just where he was all the time was evident. I was well 
pleased to be with him. 

Some of us were out in the country round about Baton 
Rouge every day but without any apparent results. On 
November 25 scouting parties were out in all directions. 
What the occasion for it was I never knew. Whatever 
it was, however, one thing always happened. The plan- 
tation of Captain Pierce was visited where whisky and 
cigars were freely set out and drunkenness inevitably 
followed. 

On the date mentioned Earl brought in eleven prison- 
ers. Whether because of luck or something else in those 
days he obtained more information and captured more 
prisoners than all the other officers of the regiment com- 
bined, and this too without being obliged to visit Captain 
Pierce. 

On December 6, 1863 Sergeant O'Connor, Henry 
Burton, Luther Struthers, and myself of Company C 
were with Earl. There were twenty-three of us in all in the 
party, a larger number than common. Starting at dark, 
we crossed the Amite River at Benton Ferry, took a 
southeast course for a mile or two, then began picking up 
a man or two at every house. They were members of the 
Ninth Louisiana Battalion and had been enlisted in that 
neighborhood. Among the fourteen men captured was 
their captain, whom Earl placed in charge of a couple of 
recruits. I had lost my hat in the darkness and had been 
in the Captain's house to get another. As I came out I 
noticed how familiarly the captain was talking with his 
guards, and that his horse was very uneasy. I whispered 
to one of his guards that he had better look out for I 
thought his prisoner was planning escape. I had not gone 
a rod when I heard the clatter of a horse's hoofs and the 
crack of a revolver. The captain was gone in the darkness. 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

He had turned his horse in the right direction, given him 
the spur, and then let him go. Earl told me that in the 
future he would never allow a prisoner to ride his own 
horse even if he had to let him have the best horse in the 
command. 

On the night of January 10, Lieutenant Earl with a 
picked lot of men passed out on the Port Hudson road. 
The next morning he ran into an ambush near Red Wood 
Bridge on the Clinton road. The report came into camp 
that they were all killed or captured. That evening two 
of Earl's men came in but they could not tell the fate of 
their comrades. The last they had seen of Earl he was 
running towards the woods, his horse having been shot 
when passing over an old field. 

George L. Beardsley of Neillsville, Wisconsin, a mem- 
ber of Earl's party, has given me the following account 
of the fight and subsequent imprisonment. He and H.C. 
Stafford were in the advance. They captured one man, 
who made his escape during the night and no doubt in- 
formed his comrades of their location on the banks of the 
Amite River. In the morning they found they were 
being surrounded by superior numbers and passed over 
to the east side of the river. On coming to a bridge they 
found it guarded and thereupon hastened to a ford a 
half mile below, crossed over, and attempted to reach a 
ford on the Comite. They were met, however, by 200 
men mounted on fresh horses commanded by Lieut. E. B. 
Golden. A fight of two hours followed when the little 
band of Federal soldiers surrendered. Lieutenant Golden 
proposed to hang them as horse thieves but Earl de- 
manded for his men the rights of prisoners of war and 
Golden did not dare to carry out his threat. The enemy 
reported a loss of six killed and five wounded in the tight 
with Earl before his capture. The struggle was a hand-to- 

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hand conflict with saber and revolver. None of Earl's 
men was killed or wounded, though several of their 
horses were killed. 

The captured Federals were taken to Cahaba prison. 
On the way there Earl made his escape but was retaken 
by the aid of bloodhounds. At length on the night of 
April 28 Earl and Stafford reached the Union lines, having 
made their way out to Pensacola, Florida. They had es- 
caped four times and had been retaken all but the last 
time by the use of bloodhounds. No wonder, in view of 
this experience, that Earl would stop in a chase at any 
time to shoot one of them. 

On the evening of May 2, 1864 Lionel A. Sheldon, 
Colonel of the Forty-second Ohio Infantry, in command of 
his own regiment, the Eighteenth New York Battery, 
and the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry marched out to Red 
Wood Bridge over Red Wood Creek on the Clinton road 
and bivouaced for the night. Here Lieutenant Earl was 
ordered to select twenty men to act as scouts the following 
day. Fyfe, Hamlin, Walsh, and myself were taken from 
Company C. The party was known as the "Awkward 
Squad." At early dawn we got under way, Hamlin 
flanking on the left and I on the right. We had hard work 
to keep abreast through the thick growth of timber, 
underbrush, and muscadine vines. About two miles were 
passed when we ran onto a cavalry picket, coming upon 
them so suddenly that the lieutenant in command and 
two of his men ran, leaving behind them their boots, 
arms, and two horses. 

We followed them a couple of miles over an open field 
and into a growth of young pines when a section of ar- 
tillery opened fire on us. We fell back over the brow of a 
hill and I was sent out to the right to see that we were 
not flanked. After sitting on my horse a few moments, 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

peeking through the dead weeds that covered the brow 
of the hill and shielded me from view, I heard a body of 
infantry advancing from out the thick growth of young 
pines. They came out into the open field obliquely in 
front of me, the right wing only a few rods away. I sat 
quietly, wishing to see the whole line come out so as to 
be able to judge of their numbers. When at length the 
right flank came out of the pines so that I could see their 
numbers the left flank was not over a hundred feet from 
me. Up to this time the weeds had screened me but the 
moment my horse moved the Confederates saw me and, 
running to the brow of the hill, commenced firing at me 
while my horse bounded off at an angle to the right. 
Though over a hundred shots were fired at me neither 
my horse nor myself was hit. In our flight my horse 
leaped a fence and a gulch not less than eight feet deep 
and twelve feet wide. 

About the time I got back to the "Awkward Squad" the 
violent barking of dogs was heard off to our left. Lieuten- 
ant Earl told me to see what it meant. On going out into 
the pine woods thirty or forty rods I ran onto a newly 
made trail of some 200 or more cavalry and returning 
informed Earl that about that number had passed to our 
rear. In the meantime the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry had 
come up. Colonel Boardman in command. He ordered 
Captain Wooster of Company E and Lieutenant Knowles 
of Company G to go with Earl and his "Awkward Squad" 
and follow them up. We four of Company C in advance 
followed the trail single file through the woods. We had 
not gone far when by lying forward I could see under the 
limbs of the trees the legs of a gray horse returning on the 
trail. I had my revolver in my hand but seeing that we 
were discovered, when the rider was still too far for me 
to use it I put it up and took a shot with my carbine at 

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the man's thighs, aiming low so as to be sure to hit him 
or his horse. The moment I fired my horse sprang for- 
ward and his horse reared up and fell backward, the man 
sliding off just as I got to his side. He handed me his 
revolver, belt, and gauntlet gloves but I told him to keep 
the gloves. His saber being strapped to his saddle had 
fallen under his horse. Just then Earl came up. When the 
prisoner looked up into the Lieutenant's face he turned 
pale and said, "For God's sake. Earl, don't kill me." 
Earl replied, "Lieutenant Golden, brave men treat 
prisoners like brothers." Shortly afterward I asked Earl 
what the Lieutenant meant. "When that man had me 
a prisoner a few months ago," he replied, "he took the 
boots from my feet and marched me barefoot a hundred 
miles or more." 

The prisoner was put in charge of a member of Com- 
pany E who led him beside his horse, holding him by the 
sleeve. This was all right as long as we continued the 
walk. We soon came to a clearing, one part of which 
was fenced off, and we had not advanced far when we saw 
the body of cavalry coming around the corner of the fenced 
field. They formed two lines facing us, either of which 
was as long as one we could make and but short rifle 
range away. We four in advance halted until the com- 
mand came up. No order being given to form line, 
Lieutenant Earl said to Captain Wooster, the ranking 
officer, "Captain, what are you going to do ? " He re- 
plied, "I do not know what is best." Some of the men 
then called out, "Let us form line and charge them." 
Lieutenant Knowles was asked if he thought it best to 
charge them. With an oath he answered in the negative. 
Still we sat there two abreast when Earl said, "They are 
preparing to charge us. Don't let them strike us in this 
form." The command was then given, "Left front into 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

line," but still we sat inactive. More of the men called 
out, "Let us charge them," when finally the command 
was given "Twos left, gallop, march." Off tow^ard the 
woods we went, the enemy after us. We who had been 
in advance were now in the rear. Word was passed along 
to form when we should reach the woods. The "Awkward 
Sguad" stopped but not the two companies. We had 
only started for the woods when the man with the prisoner 
fell to the rear and the pursuing enemy called out "Sur- 
render that man! Surrender that man!" A few^ of 
us put ourselves in the extreme rear and answered their 
demands with our revolvers. They kept up a rapid fusil- 
lade but fired over us not daring to aim low for fear of 
hitting their own man. They halted before they reached 
the woods and doubtless returned to their command by 
the way they came. 

On our reaching our command it moved forward driving 
the enemy back across Olive Branch, by Olive Branch 
church, and soon fell back to a thick wood that bordered 
both sides of the Comite River. After a short stand here 
they crossed the stream, the wood screening their move- 
ments. In the meantime our cavalry resumed the ad- 
vance. On entering the timber the road took a sharp 
turn to the right dow^n stream. The Fourth Wisconsin 
Cavalry had just entered the woods, marching by fours, 
when Colonel Boardman halted them, remarking to his 
orderly, "I wdll go forward and see how the road runs." 
The orderly, George H. Hill of my company, remonstrated 
with him telling him the enemy must be close by, but it 
was of no avail. He went forward to where the bridge 
had been burned and rode dow-n to the water's edge. 
The enemy, in line in the woods on the opposite side of 
the river, fired and he fell from his horse, pierced by 
several balls. 

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At this juncture General Sheldon rode up and asked 
Lieutenant Earl if he knew of another ford. Earl re- 
plied that there was one about a half a mile below, and 
he was ordered to see if it was guarded. We hastened 
to a little-traveled road that crossed it and followed it 
through an open magnolia grove to the water's edge. On 
the opposite side was a field with an old rail fence over- 
grown with berry bushes and an opening only wide enough 
for the road to pass through. As Morris Fyfe and I were 
entering the stream with our horses a line of muskets was 
thrust through the fence in our faces. One shot pierced 
Fyfe's breast. We turned to retreat, while the "Awkward 
Squad" fell back out of range. I held Fyfe on his horse 
while we went back on a walk with the shots flying thick 
around us striking the trees on all sides. A musket ball 
was taken from Fyfe's back but not withstanding this 
he lived to farm in Iowa for many years. Upon Earl's 
reporting the lower ford guarded the command started on 
the return to Baton Rouge, the "Awkward Squad" 
again taking the advance. The Colt's naval revolver 
and ofTicer's sword belt taken from Lieutenant Golden 
were given me to keep as trophies. My son, Lieut. H. 
W. Culver, still has them. 

On the return of General Banks from his disastrous 
Red River campaign he authorized Earl to enlist a full 
company of men, preferably from his own regiment and 
those whose fltness he had tested for the service in ques- 
tion. Only part of the regiment had veteranized. From 
it he was to secure as many men as possible. He came to 
me at once and olTered me the first lieutenancy in the 
company if I would join him. I had not been home, 
however, in the three years of my service and, besides, 
such exaggerated stories had been written home of what 
I had been doing that my people had gained the impres- 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

sion that I was reckless. I therefore declined the offer. 

General Banks was now relieved by Gen. E. B. S. 
Canby, who was given the command not only of the 
Department of the Gulf but also that of the West Missis- 
sippi which included Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, 
Arkansas, and Texa?. He proceeded in an order of June 
8, 1864 to authorize the organization of a corps of scouts, 
of which Earl was to be the commander. The men were 
to be subject to military discipline and were to receive 
from |40 per month upward, depending upon the char- 
acter of the services rendered by them. Later more de- 
tailed instructions were given Earl governing such things 
as the drawing of supplies, the confiscation of goods, and 
the rendering reports. 

Over 100 men offered their services for the new service, 
only forty of whom were accepted by Earl. All but one 
were from the Fourth Wisconsin, some of whom having 
reenlisted were given furloughs to enable them to serve 
in the scouts. The one man chosen from outside the 
ranks of the Fourth Wisconsin was Pat Daugherty who 
lived out back of Baton Bouge and who on several 
occasions had served as a guide for Earl. All of the men 
had been selected by Earl on the basis of his prior ac- 
quaintance with them. He once told me he would rather 
have a small body of men whom he had tried and upon 
whom he could depend than a larger number whose quali- 
fications he did not know. With a small number he could 
move more quickly and could capture small bodies of 
the enemy and get out of the way of larger forces more 
readily. Information furnished by his spies was acted 
upon by him with his body of uniformed men. Each of 
them when fully armed was a small walking arsenal 
carrying a Spencer carbine, two Bemington revolvers, 
and a saber, and some of them a pocket revolver in addition. 

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On June 13 we landed from the Sallie Robinson at 
Natchez. Dressed in citizens' clothes we passed around 
among the people and quietly reconnoitered our own 
picket lines which we found very open. For instance, a 
road that skirted along the river under the bluff below 
the city had not a picket on it. A regiment could have 
been marched into Natchez under the hill without being 
detected. Gullies that entered the city in betw^een the 
roads were unguarded and could easily have been followed 
into the city. As a result of Earl's report General Canby 
quietly sent one of his ofTicers to investigate conditions 
at Natchez. His report confirmed what Earl had said 
about the slackness of the pickets, and in a few days 
Earl received a note from General Canby congratulating 
him on the work he was doing. 

Natchez stands on a peninsula. Above the city St. 
Catherines Bayou approaches the Mississippi to within 
a half mile or so, then bears off to the east, then more 
directly to the south, and then to the west and enters 
the river below the city. Every road save one, the Sum- 
mit Road, that enters the city crosses St. Catherines 
Bayou. Dressed in citizens' clothes, wdth revolvers 
under our linen dusters and a map on tissue paper show- 
ing the stream and all the roads, Charles Baker and I 
began an inspection of the bridges and fords as well as the 
bypaths crossing the St. Catherines. After the first day 
Baker left. I was three days at the work as many of the 
bridges were in bad condition. Some of the fords were un- 
safe because of quicksand, and the paths were many and 
some of them blind. Everything was shown on our tissue- 
paper maps. I need not say that we needed to be very 
careful for we often wanted to leave the city as secretly 
as possible and might have found it necessary to return 

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Brevet Major Isaac N, Earl 

in some haste. As yet we were without horses and four 
of our number were sent to Vicksburg to get a supply. 
When they arrived, there were none to be had and they 
were sent on to St. Louis. There they were detained some 
days. There were still further delays in getting arms 
and other equipment so that about six weeks passed 
before we had really begun our work. In the meantime 
those of us whose term of enlistment had expired went 
to New Orleans where we settled up with the government 
and received our discharge. On our return to Natchez 
we were at last ready for earnest work. 

Late on the night of August 8 we passed out on the 
Palestine road on our first scout. We stopped in an old 
stable until early morning, when we were guided by a 
negro through the woods and fields to a large, deserted 
house, back of which was an old orchard. Here we found 
fifteen horses, some of them saddled and bridled showing 
that their former masters had just disappeared. I ex- 
changed my horse for one that I thought much better. A 
few minutes later on riding him up to a near-by house a 
young lady told me that he belonged to a Lieutenant 
Dixon who was in command of the body of men which 
had just disappeared. My captured mount proved to 
be a discarded race horse, possessed of a habit of "buck- 
ing" which later brought me to grief. 

About nine o'clock on the evening of August 13 we 
left the city by the Woodville road. When out about 
five miles we met an old gentleman in a carriage, and a 
few rods farther on six or eight Confederate cavalrymen. 
We exchanged shots with them, two of our horses being 
hit with buckshot, when the enemy ran. We followed 
them a short distance and met two wagonloads of cotton, 
drawn by eight yoke of oxen, which we took back to town 

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with us. The old gentleman, whose name was Johnson, 
said he had bought the cotton for Natchez parties, pay- 
ing for it with Confederate money. 

A report which had come to headquarters that the Con- 
federates were crossing torpedoes at Tunica Bend was 
turned over to Lieutenant Earl to investigate. He sent 
out three men with orders to descend the river as far as 
Bayou Sara unless they should find enough to warrant 
reporting before reaching that point. He also dispatched 
a spy to the camp of Major Ravana, reported to be in 
charge of the Confederate submarine corps, to learn the 
location of the camp, its strength, and, if possible, the 
Major's intentions. The spy who did duty on this and 
on other occasions, was, I believe, Jennie O'Niel, a Missis- 
sippi girl whom Earl afterwards married. She is still 
living in Minneapolis, from which place I received a letter 
from her in April, 1916. Earl reported to General Canby 
that relying on sources in which he had the utmost con- 
fidence he did not think the whole force of Confederates 
from the Yazoo to Baton Rouge numbered over 1,500 
men; and that the greater part of Gen. Wirt Adams' 
force as well as about 10,000 from Gen. Kirby Smith's 
command had been sent to join General Forrest who was 
on his way to Atlanta. 

On August 29, 1864 it was reported that Shields, who 
lived in a large square brick house just outside our lines, 
had been receiving arms and ammunition and passing 
them over to our enemies. Four of our men were sent 
out to confiscate the arms provided any should be found. 
Shields refused either to deliver them or to let the men in 
to see for themselves, and barricaded himself in the center 
of his house where the two halls crossed. One of our men 
returned to report the situation and Earl and a number of 
men went out to the house. Earl repeated the demand for 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

the surrender of the arms but still Shields refused. One of 
our number, Luther Struthers, then attempted to kick in 
one of the doors at which Earl, Charles Baker, and myself 
were stationed. I was watching Shields through a side 
light to the door and Baker was watching at the other 
side. He called to me to look out as Shields was going to 
shoot. I thought it a bluff and again placed my face 
against the glass when a bullet shattered it, grazing my 
left temple and filling my face with putty and bits of 
glass. Struthers then broke in the door and at the same 
time a shot, fired from one of the other doors, cut the 
old gentleman's suspenders where they cross on the back. 
Baker drew his revolver and just as he was about to 
shoot Shields surrendered. Seeing this I struck Baker's 
revolver and the shot went down through the floor. 
Captain Shields, a retired army officer, gave as an excuse 
for his resistance that a short time before another body of 
men had come and made the same demand as our own, 
and on being allowed to enter had not looked for arms but 
had taken a large quantity of silverware, some of which 
had been entrusted to him by his friends for safe-keeping. 
He had reported this affair to Adjutant General Thomas 
who had dined with him while on a tour of inspection 
down the river, and the General had advised him to 
defend himself if similar trouble occurred again. If 
Shields had possessed any arms or ammunition he had rid 
himself of them before we made our call. He belonged to 
that class of Confederates who secured exemption from 
surveillance by keeping open house for our officers. 

Learning that a planter some twelve miles out on the 
Woodville road had four fine four-year-old colts that had 
never even been halterbroke, a roan mare, and three 
chestnut geldings, we went after them, and got them into 
a corral by the side of the road. While the others went in 

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to capture them I sat on my horse, the one captured from 
Lieutenant Dixon, in order to head off any of them that 
might jump the fence. One did jump over and started 
down the road. I gave chase and soon came along side of 
him, when a lively race began. Not knowing that my 
horse had any tricks I leaned forward to give him all the 
help I could, when suddenly he stopped with back humped 
up and head down, while I pitched over his head carrying 
the reins and bit with me. I struck on my back and rolled 
over several times before I stopped. I was badly stunned, 
and received an injury to my spine from which I am still a 
sufferer. I had to be taken to Natchez in a cart, but three 
days later I was out again, and did not give up during the 
remainder of the time I remained with the corps. 

On September 5, 1864 Lieutenant Earl was ordered to 
New Orleans. Being tired of remaining in quarters we 
prevailed upon Allen James to take us out for a little 
recreation. Crossing over from Washington through 
fields and woods on our way to the Pine Ridge road we 
came upon a body of ten cavalrymen in a lot in front 
of a house. Hotly pursued by us, they ran for the gate 
that opened into the lot by the house. A young lady ran 
down from the porch, grabbed the gate, and held it open 
for them despite our firing, and then slammed the gate 
shut against us. We got through, however, in time to 
capture one man, one mule, and four horses. 

While we were out on this expedition Earl returned from 
New Orleans bringing the steamboat, Ida May. The 
boat was neither large nor fast. It had staterooms for 
sixty persons and quarters for an equal number of horses. 
Since we needed to frequent bayous a steamer of this size 
was well adapted to our service. 

On September 12, 1864 we started at midnight on our 
first scout on the Ida May. Arriving at St. Joe, Louisiana, 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

at ten o'clock the next morning, we hurriedly disem- 
barked, and at once started out on the plank road. We 
had not gone far when we sighted fifteen cavalrymen ahead 
of us, and immediately gave chase to them, but after a 
run of three miles, finding we were steadily losing ground, 
abandoned the pursuit. We continued following the plank 
road, however, and soon saw half a mile ahead of us a man 
w^earing a linen duster following a buggy. We at once 
gave chase and overtook the party, which in addition to 
the man on foot, consisted of a negro driver and a good- 
looking woman about 30 years of age. In the back of the 
buggy there was a trunk. We took the party to a near-by 
house and searched all three, as well as the trunk. In the 
latter we found a memorandum containing information of 
great importance concerning the movements of the Con- 
federate forces. It was this information which gave the 
first hint of "Pap Thomas" Price's intended raid into 
Missouri, thus enabling our army to be in readiness to 
meet him when he undertook the raid a short time after- 
ward. The lady had in her trunk a flask of wine from 
which she and a few of the men drank to the sentiment 
proposed by her, that the war might soon cease and that 
the North and the South might ever live in peace. We 
learned later, after we had let her go, that she was a spy, 
possibly the noted Confederate spy. Belle Boyd. 

On our return to the boat we found that the men left 
with her had captured two Confederates. With our 
captives we ran up to Vicksburg, and arrived there the 
next morning. We had not been there since July, 1862 
and then had seen the place only from the opposite side of 
the river. We took this occasion, therefore, to inspect the 
city and the fortifications. Our steamer, too, was in need 
of some repairs, and while they were being made we were 
not idle. The day after our arrival, September 16, we 

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crossed the river and proceeded to Richmond, or rather 
to where Richmond had been before General Grant's 
army had passed that way nearly a year and a half before. 
Now only blackened chimneys stood where the houses 
formerly had been, and rank weeds had taken the place 
of growing crops. All was desolation. On our way Billy 
Hine got off his horse and picked up a half-starved coon 
remarking, "Poor thing I will give you a lift to where there 
is something for you to eat. General Grant has so skinned 
the country that not even a coon can live in it." 

We came at length to a large plantation, one on which 
the buildings had been left standing. Among them was a 
large sugar-house on which General Grant's signal corps 
had erected a lookout station. We stopped at this house 
to get our dinner but the woman of the house said she 
had nothing to give us. As we came along we had seen 
some cows in the pasture and chickens around the house. 
Some of the latter we killed and gave to the negro woman 
to dress and fry and told her to bake us some cornbread. 
Our dinner was soon on the table and a little search re- 
vealed a good supply of rich milk and plenty of butter. 

When we had finished the meal Lieutenant Earl told 
me to make a search of the house for contraband goods. 
The woman of the house with her bunch of keys opened 
room after room until she had shown me all but one of the 
eleven rooms of the house. On coming to this one she 
declined to open it saying, "There is nothing in this room 
that you need to see." I told her that this was the room 
I must see. She replied, "I will not open it." I told her 
that then I would be under the necessity of opening it 
myself. Without further words she opened it. It was a 
room about sixteen feet square. On three sides extending 
from the floor to the ceiling were wide shelves filled with 
United States medical stores. As I came out of the room 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

the woman remarked that probably I would like to know 
by what authority she had these goods in her possession. 
I replied that I certainly would. She then presented an 
itemized bill of them and a permit to take them outside 
our lines, signed by a prominent-major general of the 
United States then commanding that district. I called 
Lieutenant Earl to inspect the room with its contents and 
to examine the bill and permit. After looking them over he 
asked if I had searched the outside premises. I replied that 
I had not. "Do so," he replied. The house was a large, 
one-story structure elevated six or seven feet from the 
ground on piles as a protection from floods caused by the 
breaking of the levees. I found it tightly boarded, how- 
ever, down to the ground, and not an opening in it on 
any side. There was one place, however, where nails had 
been driven recently. With an ax I pried the boards of! 
and made an opening which revealed the whole basement 
filled with barrels of pork and beef standing on end two 
barrels deep. For these, also, the woman showed an 
itemized bill and permit from the same major-general. 

We had no means of transportation, and were unable 
even to take the medical stores. Nothing could be done 
but report the find to General Canby, which I am quite 
sure was done, though I find no record of it in the Official 
Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. After the 
search of the premises we went east to the river, reachmg 
it at New Carthage. From this place we followed up the 
left bank of the river to a point opposite Vicksburg. On 
our way we made a dash on a house in which we were told 
there were two guerillas, Winslow and Brownlow by 
name. They escaped, but were compelled to leave horses 
and arms in our hands. 

Our boat being repaired we ran down the river on the 
evening of September 18 and landed five miles above St. 

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Joe. From here we made a dash down through the village, 
and out on the plank road to a Mr. Powell's where we 
captured three men. Powell was taken prisoner, for we 
learned he engaged in receiving Confederate mail and 
sending it across the river when opportunity offered. At 
his house we found a large mail on its way east. Six miles 
farther on we captured another man with three horses. 
Four men were now sent back to St. Joe with the prisoners, 
mail, and captured horses, the Ida May having followed 
us down to this place. At this point eleven miles out we 
left the plank road and skirted along the back of the 
plantations on the north side of the road. Earl had 
learned that a body of twenty-five men were camped in 
this vicinity on their way in to be ferried across the river 
at St. Joe. In the gray of the morning we saw a camp fire 
in front of a house on the opposite side of the road. A 
small gate opened from the road into the yard where the 
men were preparing their breakfasts. I signaled Lieuten- 
ant Earl and Fenlason and I made a dash through the 
gate and between the men and the porch, on which we 
saw a stack of guns. They were taken entirely by sur- 
prise and all surrendered before any of our men entered 
the yard. One man started to run but a shot through the 
crown of his hat brought him back. They were mechanics 
on their way east and had only the one stack of arms. 

It had been raining and we saw that a wagon train had 
passed by and was between us and the river. We destroyed 
the few arms found and with sabers strapped to our sad- 
dles started to follow them. We had not gone more than 
a mile when we heard the darky drivers and the "chuck" 
of the wagons. After signaling Earl we put spurs to our 
horses and turning a bend in the road came upon a caval- 
ryman riding unconcernedly behind the rear wagon. On 
turning his head he found himself looking into the muzzle 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

of a revolver. Upon being ordered to throw down his 
arms, he immediately complied. One after another five 
more men were treated in the same way. The results of 
our morning's work were: thirty-five men, nine horses, 
thirty-six mules and harnesses, six w^agons, about 
nine tons of wool, and a valuable mail. After arriving 
at St. Joe we captured a four-wheeled truck on which 
was loaded a ferryboat and a skiff. They had backed the 
truck and its load into the brush, and we found and burned 
them. The wool w^as on its way from Texas to Georgia to 
be manufactured into uniforms for the Confederate 

soldiers. 

On September 24 we ran down to Port Hudson, where 
we left the Ida May to meet us at Baton Rouge. On our 
way dowm w^e captured one man and five horses. The next 
day we visited our regiment at Baton Rouge and found 
the Ida May waiting for us. While at Baton Rouge we 
drew twenty Sharps carbines, twenty revolvers, twenty 
sabers, and twenty saddles. For the first time our corps 
was fully equipped. As for horses we had more than 
supplied ourselves from those captured from the enemy. 
On our return trip to Natchez we had fine practice in the 
use of our new arms, the many alligators sunning them- 
selves along the banks of the river affording us fine 

targets. 

On the morning of September 28 w^e landed at Hard 
Times on the opposite side of the river from Grand Gulf. 
Proceeding inland ten or tw^elve miles we captured a 
wagon-load of clothing on its way into the Confederacy. 
Then we returned to our boat and ran up to Point Pleas- 
ant, four miles from Douglass' Landing, from which Earl 
learned the goods had been taken, and where Douglass 
lived. We found his house strongly barricaded with bales 
of cotton, and himself well supplied with arms. Since 

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it was known that he had a supply of goods constantly on 
hand he was often attacked by robbers. Only the day 
before, five of them had made a raid on him, and three 
of their number still lay dead in his yard. At his house we 
found 1,500 yards of cloth, much of it of very fine quality, 
and much other contraband goods. The next morning we 
took Douglass and his family with all the goods with us. 
When we got to Buckner's Landing, where we met the 
Ida May we found that the men left with the boat had 
captured a small steamer, belonging to Douglass, called 
the Buffalo. With it he was doing a fine business. He 
had itemized bills and permits for all these goods from the 
commander at Vicksburg. No wonder large industries 
were built up in the years that followed the war by some 
of our officers who thought more of gaining dollars than 
of gaining victories over our enemies. 

Our secret service was not confined strictly to military 
affairs. Since coming to Natchez Earl had kept detectives 
busy. One line of investigation led to the location near 
Fort Adams of 607 bales of cotton which were piled up on 
the bank of the river and secreted by scrub oaks. When 
the time was ripe an Illinois regiment was sent with a 
steamer to bring the cotton to Natchez. This capture 
alone was worth over $300,000. 

On the morning of September 30 we joined the com- 
mand of Colonel Osband, a brigade of cavalry, one regi- 
ment of which was colored. Marching rapidly out to 
Port Gibson, we fed our horses and took dinner. Our 
scouts were stationed around a yard in which was a very 
good house. While our horses were eating, two young 
ladies came out of the house and began to converse with 
us. They asked us if we knew "General Earl" and his 
men. We replied that we had frequently met them and 
sometimes had been associated with them. They then 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

expressed a great desire to see "General Earl." Lieutenant 
Earl being only a few steps away was called and given an 
introduction to them. They could hardly believe that we 
were telling the truth. One of the ladies was the daughter 
of General Van Dorn and the other, the sister of Colonel 
Jenkins, Gen. Joe Wheeler's adjutant-general. 

We camped a mile east of Port Gibson with Colonel 
Osband's command and breakfasted at a Mr. Colman's, 
a prominent Port Gibson lawyer. We then marched out 
on the Fayette road, turned again, and went to Rodney. 
There we found a steamer with a regiment of colored 
infantry, and our own steamer was at the dock. A good 
Union family entertained us for both supper and break- 
fast, and upon leaving we paid them well for their hospi- 
tality. 

For some reason when we started out on October 2, 
we did not take the advance. At the entrance of a long, 
covered bridge the advance guard was fired on and fell 
back and we took their place. In the meantime the 
enemy disappeared. Before reaching Fayette our scouts 
had gathered up a dozen horses, for one of which I ex- 
changed my own. On nearing the village and looking 
down its main street we saw about fifty horses, fully 
equipped, tied along the sides of the street, while their 
riders were just coming out of church. I signaled Earl, 
who motioned us forward. Without further urging Fen- 
lason and I charged them, while Earl followed with the 
corps. Not having time to mount before we were among 
them they dodged behind buildings and commenced firing. 

Turning into the street from the left a man, dressed in 
gray, in an open carriage drawn by two horses dashed 
furiously out of the village. Fenlason and I, being in 
advance of the others, gave chase. We knew there was 
a body of cavalry encamped out that way and thinking 

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it probable the fugitive was in command of it we wanted 
to capture him. Seeing us coming, the vidette fired and 
ran. After passing the vidette's post we overtook the 
man in the buggy and turning him around hurried him 
back. When we came near the village we slackened our 
pace and searched the two valises he had. In one of them 
we found his linen on one side, and rolls of greenbacks on 
the other, while the other valise was entirely filled with 
greenbacks. The man was a Confederate cotton agent, 
and was prepared to pay for the 607 bales of cotton 
spoken of above. We handed him over to Lieutenant 
Earl who delivered him to Colonel Osband's provost 
marshal. 

A number of men and horses were captured by Earl 
before Colonel Osband and his command came up. It is 
necessary to say here that the men of our corps took 
commands from no one but Lieutenant Earl, and he 
received his orders from General Canby only. Not being 
satisfied with the conduct of Colonel Osband, who had 
partaken too freely of rum, Earl left him at Fayette and 
returned to Natchez. We reached our quarters at ten 
o'clock in the evening. Colonel Osband came in with his 
command the next forenoon, having had quite a skirmish 
with the body of soldiers, encamped outside of Fayette, 
which the captured cotton agent had sought to join. 

On the morning of October 5 we went to Kingston. We 
made a dash through the village but found no enemy 
there. Proceeding on, we searched the house of a Mr. 
Farrer. On coming out of the house into the road we 
came up behind three men to whom we gave chase. They 
entered a wood close by, leaving their horses and a double- 
barreled shotgun. Colonel Powers of the Confederate 
army was in the vicinity. Small bodies of his men often 
showed themselves but as often got out of the way. At 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

the house of a Mr. Bowers we found a quantity of contra- 
band goods, consisting pf leather and cloth, which Lieu- 
tenant Earl ordered to be taken out and burned. While 
we were there a squad of Confederate cavalry put in an 
appearance and as quickly disappeared. I was a good 
deal troubled through the day over what seemed to me 
to be recklessness on the part of Lieutenant Earl; on one 
occasion I said as much to him, but he only laughed at me. 
We did not stop anywhere to get dinner but kept on the 
alert all day. Just before dark we returned a couple of 
miles towards Natchez and stopped at a house for supper. 
While our meal was being prepared our picket reported 
the approach of the enemy. We mounted and rode on 
toward Natchez for some distance when we turned into 
another house where we had supper. While eating Lieu- 
tenant Earl said: "Boys I am disappointed in you. None 
of you knew the situation today any better than Culver, 
yet no one but he showed any concern. Had the situation 
been as it seemed, we were in a most critical condition. 
Other forces of ours were out and we were to draw the 
enemy on or attract their attention while our forces should 
get in their rear. They did not bite at the bait." 

On the evening of October 6 we again went on board our 
boat. In the morning we landed at Waterproof, and rode 
rapidly out into the country a few miles, where we had 
heard some Confederates were encamped. Not finding 
them, we returned to our boat and ran up to the planta- 
tion of Gustavus Bass. We knew him to be a spy on our 
movements, using the cupola of his liouse for a lookout 
and when our steamer was in sight, giving warning to 
any Confederates that might be approaching the river 
to be ferried across. Learning that he had some horses 
hid out in the woods in charge of some negroes. Lieutenant 
Earl had a chicken coop set on fire, thinking the negroes 

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would suppose one of their cabins was burning and so 
would come out of the w^oods. The maneuver had the 
desired effect and the horses were brought out. We 
picketed the levee road for a distance of six miles up and 
down the river, hoping to intercept a body of the enemy 
which we knew to be in that vicinity. Not meeting any, 
however, we boarded the Ida May and ran down the 
river several miles. Towards morning with all lights out, 
we ran back up the river to a point opposite Bruinsburg, 
Mississippi. Here we landed before daylight and rode 
rapidly down to St. Joe and out on the plank road. 

As usual, Charles W. Fenlason was my companion on 
the advance. He was cautious and brave, quick to see, 
and ready to act. About eight miles out of town on 
emerging from a wood into an open field, we saw coming 
our way but a few rods in advance a very tall man on a 
short-legged, black pony. The man was apparently not 
looking for trouble. He seemed to awake suddenly and 
started off to our left as fast as his pony could carry him. 
I gave chase, while Fenlason, seeing the top of an ambu- 
lance coming over a rise of ground in the road ahead, 
started for it, closely follow^ed by the scouts. My man 
ran to a fence, jumped from his pony, and sprang for it. 
Just as he was stretched out full length on top of the fence 
I fired at him with my revolver. Landing on his feet on 
the other side, his hands on his stomach, he cried out, 
"For God's sake don't shoot again! " As I rode up to 
the fence he said, "You have shot me through the bowels." 
I saw that the top rail was hit and knew that both rail 
and bowels could not be hit by the same ball. "You are 
not hurt," I said, "Only a sliver has hit you." He looked 
at the rail, then at his stomach, and said, "I thank God. 
I was sure I had got my last." He then said, "Where did 
you come from? You went down the river last night." 

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NEWTON H. CULVER 



CHARLi:S \V. FENLASON 





ISAAC N. EAHL 



CHARLES BAKER 



Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

I asked him who he thought we w^ere. "Don't you sup- 
pose I know who you are? " he answered, "You are Earl's 
scouts," 

When I got back to the road with him, I found that 
Earl had captured two majors, one captain, two enlisted 
men, and the ambulance, which contained about six 
bushels of mail and over a million dollars of Confederate 
money, besides all the flags captured from General Banks 
up Red River and all that had been captured from us in 
western Louisiana since our taking of New Orleans. 

Having information that a larger Confederate force 
was but a short distance away, Earl ordered a retreat to 
the boat. On our arrival at Natchez, Lieutenant Earl, 
Serg. Edward Harris, myself, and six of the men for guards 
started for New Orleans with our prisoners. 

On Sunday, October 9, we stopped at Baton Rouge, 
where our regiment was encamped, in order to visit our 
comrades. Lieutenant Earl and Sergeant Harris with 
four of the men went first, leaving me with the other two 
to guard our prisoners. They had not been gone long 
when Major General Herron's superintendent of transpor- 
tation came aboard and asked the captain of the boat who 
was in charge. Upon being referred to me, he said that he 
wanted to take the boat to ferry a regiment across the 
river from West Baton Rouge. I told him that Lieut- 
tenant Earl was up town and that I was not at liberty to 
let the boat be moved without his order. The major 
replied with some heat that it was the order of General 
Ilerron who was a bigger man than Earl. I replied that 
I was sorry to deny General Herron's authority, and ob- 
served that if he saw fit I supposed he could place me 
under arrest when my authority would end, and he 
could then do as he liked. He concluded, however, to 
wait for Lieutenant Earl's return. After an hour or so 

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Earl returned and I gave him an introduction to the 
major, who told him of my refusal to allow the boat to be 
moved. Earl told him I had done right but that if he 
would furnish what guards I wanted he could have the 
use of the boat. Then turning to me he said: "Place 
guards to keep all, including ofTicers, on the lower deck." 
The guards were accordingly furnished and placed. The 
regiment was ferried across the river, the major ac- 
companying us in the best of humor. We then proceeded 
on our way, reaching New Orleans at ten o'clock the next 
day. After taking our captives to prison we took the 
flags to General Canby's office. Here Lieutenant Earl 
put the Brashier City Garrison flag into my hands saying, 
"It is your due to hand this flag to General Canby." 

The Ida May was pronounced in need of repairs. We 
were not able to get another steamer at once and so con- 
tinued to keep our quarters on the Ida May for two 
weeks when the Starlight was assigned to us, and we 
started on our return. We stopped at Baton Rouge on 
the way, where I last met the comrades of the Fourth 
Wisconsin. On October 26 we arrived at Natchez, and 
the next day Lieutenant Earl gave me my discharge. I 
was under contract to serve four months, and had served 
three weeks longer than this. Earl tried to persuade me 
to remain, urging among other things, that if I did not 
he would take the advance himself. This he did and 
received the fatal shot a month and two days later while 
entering Fayette, Mississippi, at night with the advance 
of the corps. ^ 

1 The most connected account I have of the death of Earl is contained in a 
letter written to me from Natchez, Dec. 1, 1864, by Charles Baker. It states, 
in substance that Earl with the scouts and about fifteen Mississippi cavalrymen 
embarked on the Colonel Cowles on November 29. After ascending the river 
some fifteen miles the party landed and set out for Fayette, which was reached 
some time after dark. The men passed quietly through the town, not intending 

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Brevet Major Isaac N. Earl 

I will now give from my memoranda the names of the 
members of the corps: 

Noncommissioned OfTicers 
Allen James, 1st Sergeant 
L. E. Hatch, Commission Sergeant 
E. A. Harris, 2nd Sergeant 
Byron Kenyon, 3rd Sergeant 
N. H. Culver, 1st Corporal 
C. W. Fenlason, 2nd Corporal 
Milan Grayham, 3rd Corporal 

Privates 
Charles Baker, Company I, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
L. B. Bennett, Company I, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
Spencer Bills, Company H, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
Pat Daugherty, a citizen of Louisiana 

to stop. Upon approaching the hotel, however, two or three shots rang out. 
Major Earl was evidently the target for one shot took effect in the jaw, one in 
the breast, and a third in the right wrist. He was taken to the house of Dr. 
Duncan, who advised that it would be fatal to attempt his removal to Natchez. 
Major Earl advised his men to leave him, which was done, and Natchez was 
reached at daylight, November 30. A flag of truce was sent out, accompanied 
by two surgeons and Earl's wife, arriving at Fayette in the forenoon of December 
1. They were not allowed to see Earl, but were assured by the doctor attending 
him that he was being well cared for and his wounds were not necessarily mortal. 
Later information proved that he was already dead. 

Lieutenant Paddock, an old acquaintance of Earl in Wisconsin, was in com- 
mand of the Confederate scouts, and it was by one of his men that the fatal 
shots were fired. He promised to inform the authorities at Natchez of any 
serious change in Earl's condition. They were never notified of his death, and 
it has been believed generally by his associates that he was foully dealt with by 
his captors. 

Four years ago, however, as the result of an advertisement which I placed in 
a Natchez paper, I received several letters from Thomas G. Dicks, an ex-Con- 
federate scout. When Earl's command entered Fayette, he stated, he was 
sitting in front of the hotel beside Scrg. James Smith. Smith ordered the lights 
extinguished, and when the Federal advance came within forty yards he fired 
one shot from a double-barreled gun loaded with one ball and nine buckshot. 
Dicks indignantly resented the charge that Earl was poisoned or ill treated in 
any way. He stated further that Earl was buried at Red Lick church, and that 
after the war Mrs. Earl came for the body and removed it to her home in Min- 
neapolis. 

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George Hays, Company G, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
William S. Hine, Company I, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
William Kent, Company G, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
Samuel Jewell, Company G, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
Hiram Netherfield, a citizen of Missouri 
Nelson Porter, Company G, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
Samuel Porter, a citizen of Missouri 

— McLachlin, a citizen of Mississippi 

Jacob Ripley, Company F, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
Archibald Rowan, Company I, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
Andrew Ryan, Company G, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
Luther Struthers, Company C, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 

— Simpson, Second Wisconsin Cavalry 

Nicholas Wait, Company K, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 
Frank Wallace, Second Wisconsin Cavalry 
Nathaniel J. White, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry 

The original plan was to form three sections of which 
Henry C. Stafford was to have commanded the Second 
and P. Daugherty the Third. They were never formed 
and both Stafford and Daugherty acted as privates. 



338 



